1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lubricants and methods of lubricating valves in musical wind instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Innumerable substances have long been used in a variety of applications to lubricate mechanisms with components that move relative to each other. Grease formed as a petroleum derivative is widely used for lubricating machine parts, valves, and other mechanical devices. Grease possesses the highly desirable lubricating characteristic of low resistance in shear, so that a film of grease between moving parts will facilitate movement of the parts past each other. The use of a film of grease between moving mechanical parts reduces wear on the parts which would otherwise result from friction. Grease does, however, have an undesirable property of stickiness or tackiness. This property is particularly undesirable when grease is used to lubricate moving parts which are brought into contact relative to each other and then separated. The valves in musical wind instruments, such as clarinets, saxophones, and harmonicas are exemplary devces of this type. In such valve mechanisms a valve closure element is repeatedly seated and unseated relative to a valve seat element or slid sideways, as in harmonicas. Where grease is employed as a lubricant the valve closure elements in such instruments will tend to stick to the valve seats, thus degrading the quality of music which can be produced with the instrument.